E46 radiator popped

[Over Clocker]

Apparently the radiator cap wasn't releasing pressure over time. Hasn't ever over heated until last week, was fine over the summer etc!

 

[[TW]Fox]

Question you have to ask yourself now is "why was it warped at the bottom"?

Because it is an M54 cooling system. They do that.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Anyone know, realistically, how much it is for a cooling system change? I'm not talking about if i take it to BMW Parklane, but say a specialist? What is a decent price to pay?

Circa £500 to renew everything.

 

[OllyM]

Was the old radiator a pattern part or OEM BMW?

 

[paradigm]

Because it is an M54 cooling system. They do that.

I was more getting at, if it was another part of the system

Hence, replace it all

 

[Dup]

Surely a broken rad would leak no matter what?

Could just be a hose that's split and is dripping down the rad once it gets hot? Worth a check if accessible just in case it completely fails on the way to the garage.

 

[paradigm]

Surely a broken rad would leak no matter what?

Not always. If its a stress fracture, it might only open up once the metal expands with the heat of the coolant.

More likely for it to be metal expanding with heat than a rubber pipe leaking with heat.

 

[Matt82]

do you renew the water pump at the same time too and is that a cambelt off job?

 

[paradigm]

do you renew the water pump at the same time too and is that a cambelt off job?

No cambelt, it's chain driven.

 

[[TW]Fox]

do you renew the water pump at the same time too

Generally that is what people mean by 'replace the entire cooling system' yes.

and is that a cambelt off job?

No, because the E46 doesnt have a cambelt, as cambelts are for shopping trolleys

 

[Matt82]

soarer is not a shopping trolley

 

[[TW]Fox]

True, true. More exciting than a 911 infact

 

[Scania]

As already said, if you do drive it, make sure you watch the temp guage as if your life (or engine! ) depends on it.

At the extreme end of the scale, when my e36's - M52 328i - cooling system lunched itself, I drove it from Stoke on Trent to Middlewich in Cheshire & back 3 times before it went in to be fixed !

Crazy but hey, mines a 1996 with a value of less than a decent TV set!

I'm not sure I'd want to chance it with anything of considerably higher value such as the OP's car.

I found that by the time the guage had started moving, the coolant loss was large even though it only dripped a bit when sat on the drive ticking over.

I carried about 12 litres of water and used most of it in that time!


OP's call, but be VERY careful.

 

[Biohazard]

No, because the E46 doesnt have a cambelt, as cambelts are for shopping trolleys

lol.

I'd pick a belt over a chain as my preferred drive regardless of engine size if optional, since belts are lighter, do not require lubrication, and provide lesser load on the cam gears to run efficiently. On the flipside, belts have a shorter service life and can cause problems with interference engines. Nevertheless, you can extract more performance from an engine if the cams are belt driven. Chains can bring power loss, valve clatter, rough running and too much flex.

I also know a lot of 'shopping trollies' with chains... so sorry mr snooty but don't discount technology and cars and such on a whim, that little craptastic motor sat next to you at the lights may be on par with you 'technologically', as far as ancient bike chains go!

 

[iaind]

soarer is not a shopping trolley

True, true. More exciting than a 911 infact

Which loljoshy posts have I missed?

 

[[TW]Fox]

lol.

I'd pick a belt over a chain as my preferred drive regardless of engine size if optional, since belts are lighter, do not require lubrication, and provide lesser load on the cam gears to run efficiently. On the flipside, belts have a shorter service life and can cause problems with interference engines. Nevertheless, you can extract more performance from an engine if the cams are belt driven. Chains can bring power loss, valve clatter, rough running and too much flex.

You have to replace them often at massive cost often as much as every 40k miles! The fact it has a cambelt means something like a VW Golf has similar if not higher 100,000 mile servicing costs to something like a 5 Series BMW!

 

[Jez]

Since when do chains ever need lubricating anyway? (unless they are self lubricating somehow)

 

[Joshy]

Which loljoshy posts have I missed?

I'd quite like to know myself!

 

[Biohazard]

You have to replace them often at massive cost often as much as every 40k miles! The fact it has a cambelt means something like a VW Golf has similar if not higher 100,000 mile servicing costs to something like a 5 Series BMW!

40k is a bit low.

A tenner for a belt isn't a massive cost either (unless you can't do it yourself, even then its not rocket science/stupid amounts), you will have to do it once or twice... longer if you run a car to its death.

Chains aren't impervious, if the chain lasts thats fine but sprockets and tensionerscan be another thing.

 

[[TW]Fox]

40k is a bit low.

VW recommend 40k now on the 1.8T due to a spate of failures.

A tenner for a belt isn't a massive cost either (unless you can't do it yourself, even then its not rocket science), you will have to do it once or twice... longer if you run a car to its death.

Ten quid for a cambelt service, yea meanwhile back on planet earth. Given that most people don't do all their own work, you cant judge an engine based on people who do.

For most of us, a car requiring a cambelt service means a trip to the dealer and a big pile of cash to spend.

You are not going to break out the Halfords Professional toolkit to change the belt on your 3-4 year old Golf GTI, are you? No, you are going to go to VW and pay more for a 4 year service than you would if you took a 335i to BMW for a service around the same time.

Cambelts suck.